Garage selling Dragoon.

[Joe Yanta]

Its not often that when your out garage selling you come across something you actually get excited about. I would say about 1 time in a 1000. I came across this Ultra-hi (Miroku of Japan) 16 bore Dragoon in almost "too late for help" condition. It has a "proof tested" 9" barrel. The lock is well made and has nice sounding positive clicks when cocking. Trigger is, I would say a crisp 6-7 pounds.

Upon disassembly and cleaning the rust wasn't as bad as I thought and the iron work clean up with little effort. I inletted a few areas for better hardware fit and lightly reshaped the forend. After stripping I applied a deeper and darker stain with an airbrush. It is now enjoying a hand rubbed oil process.

Question. Was the hardware and barrel bright or browned? Was any part "blued"?

Any one ever shot one and/or care to share loading information.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Joe

 

[jtmattison]

I can't help with your questions but I wanted to say you did a nice job of cleaning it up.
:thumbsup:

HD

 

[Blizzard of '93]

I don't know either but you sure got it looking OK. we'll have to call you 'Lucky' Joe. :thumbsup:

 

[44-henry]

My father had bought one back in the 70's and had it as a decorater. I think a lot of those guns were sold for that purpose only, some were suposedly safe to shoot, others not. I do know that the frizzens weren't hard on all of them and I think Dixie even had a service where they would caseharden them for you if you didn't want to bother with it. I would probably play it safe and proof the barrel before firing it. I wouldn't think you would shoot more than 30-40 grains in any event.

 

[schmidt]

Hey Joe,
I got the same pistol at e-gun last week, they could be twins! I don´t think that they are only wallhangers because the barrel is polished inside and the frizzen is hardened, but the inside of the lock is terrible, just good enough to let some balls loll downrange for fun (and to amuse the spectators)
The finish was ugly, i scraped the paint away and oiled the stock.

By wilderer

By wilderer

By wilderer

 

[Joe Yanta]

Hey fellas, thanks for all of your replys. They are much appreciated.

Baikal these could almost be twins. The outside of my lock is different than yours but they look pretty close. I found my lock to be pretty decent and my frizzen sheds a fine shower of sparks. At shooting just a couple of times a year at rendezvous I think this will out live me.

Also loaded up with 6's or 4's it will make a dandy bunny get'r if you can catch them sleepin or sunnin.

Joe

 

[Wes/Tex]

Nice find. Back in the dark ages mine was fun to shoot the big 'shooter' marbles with! They turned to dust against concrete...probably a violation of OSHA!! :haha: In fact, the first was from DGW back in the days when they'd adjust the lock and harden the frizzen for a whole $4.00. Didn't spend the cash and what-a-mess. Could only fire it by having my brother reach in from the back and light her off with a kitchen match...sort of a poor man's matchlock!! :rotf:

 

[Zonie]

Sounds like a rich mans matchlock to me.
A poor man wouldn't be able to afford the servant holding the match. :rotf:

Actually, that reminds me of a true story about a guy who had ignition problems so his friend lit the pan with a burning cigarette. The side blast sent flaming tobacco all over the place. Fortunatly the friend didn't end up with badly burned fingers as some folks have pulling this sort of trick. :hmm:

 

[mazo kid]

Joe, I bought one of those pistols back in the 70s in kit form from Dixie for $19.95 IIRC. Sold that one a few years later and now have 4 more. Our group uses a couple as "duelling" pistols at our rendezvous, shooting at a steel silhouette at maybe 10 yards. I have seen some of these same pistols for sale at rendezvous for as much as $250; if I can find any for under $100 I will usually buy it. The bigest problem I have found with mine is that the mainspring is a little weak.

 

[flintlock75]

Great find.
I have 3 of them, 2 are .67 cal and 1 is .69 cal.
I bought one for $25.00 at a gun show, it needed work but cleaned up fine. I shoot that one all the time. I use 35 grs of 3F and a patched .650 RB. Since it has no sights it is not a target gun but i have used it at rondy's for pistol duels and won severel. It shoots buckshot well and i have bagged some spruce grouse with it using an ounce of 7 1/2 shot. These are fun guns to shoot, they all throw a great shower of sparks. I have not had any problems with them. Very reliable.
Have fun shooting.

 

[Joe Yanta]

Great replies gents, you sharing your knowledge with me is much appreciated.

Lets talk about the frizzen just a minute. I make knives as a hobby and it would be a snap for me to harden the frizzen. I would think it would have to be as hard as you could get it, like a flint steel. Am I wrong in thinking this?

Joe